Motel 6 to pay $12M for providing guest information to ICE

SEATTLE, Wash. - The hotel chain Motel 6 will pay $12 million for providing personal guest information to agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on Thursday.

The disclosures led to the detention and deportation of many Motel 6 guests in Washington state.

The Attorney General’s Office began investigating Washington Motel 6 locations after two of the hotels in Arizona made national news for providing guest lists to ICE in 2017.

During the investigation, Ferguson found seven of the 26 Washington state Motel 6 locations to have provided the information of approximately 80,000 guests to ICE over the course of two years.

Ferguson filed a lawsuit in January 2018, on the basis that Motel 6 violated the Consumer Protection Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination by disclosing guest information.

“Motel 6’s actions tore families apart and violated the privacy rights of tens of thousands of Washingtonians,” said Ferguson in a statement on Thursday.

“Our resolution holds Motel 6 accountable for illegally handing over guests’ private information without a warrant. Any other business that tries to violate Washingtonians’ right to privacy can expect to hear from my office.”

Motel 6 has since adopted a policy, nationwide, that it will no longer provide guest information without proof of a warrant or other lawful basis.

Catch up on the day's news and look ahead to tomorrow by signing up for the Daily Local email newsletter from KXLY4. Headlines, events, and staff picks every weeknight at 8 p.m. Sign up HERE to get your news on the D.L.

Copyright 2019 KXLY.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior permission.